Everywhere Benning goes success seems to follow him there. Whether it’s drafting players, making or suggesting trades, evaluating players or signing free agents, Benning know’s how to attract success. He pretty much runs the draft for the Bruins and considering the Sabres are rebuilding and have a plethora of draft picks in the next few season’s, a guy who knows how to work the draft and draft the right guys will be a huge benefit.

Throughout his time with both the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, Jim Benning has shown that he knows how build winning hockey teams in the NHL. It’s one thing to build a championship calibre team in the AHL, but it’s another to build one in the NHL. Benning knows how to find talent through the daft and through trades.

Los Angeles Kings co-director of amateur scouting Mike Futa. Futa has served in that capacity for LA over the past six years, and helped build the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2012. Prior to his work in California, Futa served as the GM of the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL for five seasons, where he earned OHL Executive of the Year honors in 2005.

If you're looking for a more well-rounded candidate, Futa has experience as both a head and assistant coach in the OHL, and has also been both a head and assistant GM in the junior leagues. Toss in a few years as a professional player in Europe, and you've got a guy who has seen every side of the league, from the ice to the bench to the press box.-Futa. In his role as the Kings’ director of amateur scouting, he drafted Drew Doughty, Slava Voynov, Andrei Loktionov, Brayden Schenn, Kyle Clifford, Jordan Nolan and Linden Vey — from just the 2008 and ’09 classes alone. Futa doesn’t just have a great eye for talent, he has an eye for the heavy, truculent talent.

Treliving is currently in his seventh season as the assistant general manager in Phoenix, where he also manages their minor league clubs. The 44-year old doesn't have the Stanley Cup winning resume that some of his peers do, but Treliving does bring executive experience, having served as the president of the Central Hockey League for seven seasons prior to joining the Coyotes.

Over the past few seasons, Phoenix has earned a reputation as an organization that generally makes smart trades, takes their time developing prospects...

Treliving, who is also vice president of hockey operations and GM of the Coyotes’ minor-league club, helps in all personnel decisions and manages the amateur and pro scouting staffs. It’s not clear if Buffalo has asked for permission to interview Treliving.

"Brad is a very, very important person in our organization," Phoenix GM Don Maloney said. "We’d have to think very long and very hard about granting permission during the course of a season."

Treliving, who is also vice president of hockey operations and GM of the Coyotes’ minor-league club, helps in all personnel decisions and manages the amateur and pro scouting staffs.

Benning was apparently asked about his thoughts on the Canuck's vacant GM position. He said it would be an exciting opportunity but he can't comment on it because he is under contract with another team. Doesn't that count as a comment? All we need now is for Boston to file tampering charges and they get awarded our hard earned high draft pick as compensation!

So far I think Trevor is looking in all the right places. He is apparently still good friends with Benning so one would assume Trevor would know if he fits his profile of a GM or not!

Hockey Widow wrote:Benning was apparently asked about his thoughts on the Canuck's vacant GM position. He said it would be an exciting opportunity but he can't comment on it because he is under contract with another team. Doesn't that count as a comment? All we need now is for Boston to file tampering charges and they get awarded our hard earned high draft pick as compensation!

So far I think Trevor is looking in all the right places. He is apparently still good friends with Benning so one would assume Trevor would know if he fits his profile of a GM or not!

Lets hope the Bruins get knocked out of the playoffs in an upset in the 1st round! haha

President: Trevor Linden - new face of the franchise, running the business behind the scenes.

General Manager: Jim Benning - the new head honcho to make trades, deal with other GM's, run the draft/scouts.

VP of Hockey Operations & Assistant GM: Laurence Gilman - the progressive thinker, given more responsibilities to keep him happy, he'll keep the cap in check, assist with the draft and scouts, keep seeking hidden gems of players, plus run Utica. Be nice if he stays with the team for a long time like David McNab with the Ducks.

Senior Advisor: Pat Quinn - no holds barred big man, be giving insight at the canucks war room/meetings for deals and trades and how the players are performing/acting etc.

Someone posted this on HF, staff meeting at the Bruins office with Chiarelli/Benning/Neely etc.

Everywhere Benning goes success seems to follow him there. Whether it’s drafting players, making or suggesting trades, evaluating players or signing free agents, Benning know’s how to attract success. He pretty much runs the draft for the Bruins and considering the Sabres are rebuilding and have a plethora of draft picks in the next few season’s, a guy who knows how to work the draft and draft the right guys will be a huge benefit.

Throughout his time with both the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, Jim Benning has shown that he knows how build winning hockey teams in the NHL. It’s one thing to build a championship calibre team in the AHL, but it’s another to build one in the NHL. Benning knows how to find talent through the daft and through trades.

Friedman: "Linden had a webcast interview the other day where he said that maybe his next GM is someone that he has once played with… and he spent the first two years of his career in Vancouver with Jim Benning. But there’s another local guy (Gilman)."

There is no rule against the Canucks talking to GM candidates on playoff teams. There seems to be belief they have to wait for teams to finish their playoff runs before they can interview and hire candidates but no such stipulation exists.

Chuck Fletcher was hired in 2009 as Minny GM when he was still with Pittsuburgh during the playoffs.

Hmm you'd think Peter Chiarelli might want to get another assistant GM hired soon before the draft, if he catches wind that Benning is a strong candidate for the Canucks GM position.

No, but they need permission to speak to someone under contract. If Boston gave permission tomorrow then Linden could speak to Benning. It has nothing to do with the playoffs or regular season and everything to do with tampering.

If Benning or any other candidate possesses useful knowledge about draft eligible players, or if their current employer is at all cagey about how free agency is going to go, then we can expect any hiring to be prevented from offering their services until some point in July.

When Peter Chiarelli was hired away from the Senators he was unable to advise the Bruins on anything involving Ottawa free agents until July 15th (rendering their signing of Zdeno Chara by the assistant GM a huge coincidence and a pretty ballsy move by a guy who should have been just holding down the fort).

At any rate in an official capacity I'm expecting this team to be run by committee with the personnel we have in place already until at least July 1st.

dbr wrote:If Benning or any other candidate possesses useful knowledge about draft eligible players, or if their current employer is at all cagey about how free agency is going to go, then we can expect any hiring to be prevented from offering their services until some point in July.

When Peter Chiarelli was hired away from the Senators he was unable to advise the Bruins on anything involving Ottawa free agents until July 15th (rendering their signing of Zdeno Chara by the assistant GM a huge coincidence and a pretty ballsy move by a guy who should have been just holding down the fort).

At any rate in an official capacity I'm expecting this team to be run by committee with the personnel we have in place already until at least July 1st.

Dunno about that. If Benning is being pursued, and given the traffic about him he seems a good candidate, if overtures have been made to date with the Boston organization about him perhaps something can get worked out prior to the draft. If Chiarelli could come over from Ottawa as you said, he should be able to work out something similar with Linden.

Then again, who in the league wants to do Vancouver any favours? Maybe with Gillis gone and Linden at the helm things may have changed in that regard, and if Benning does want the job perhaps it could be a matter of giving one of your people a chance at a job they want - and not screwing them over in the process by keeping them from it until after July 1st.

It's very common especially if you are drafting near the team in question or are divisional rivals. As well Intel on FA is closely guarded. Boston will grant permission to teams to speak to Benning when it suites them. As it should be. They won't prevent it but they will protect their interests.

If we get Benning, right off the bat when he gets here is to speak to every player with a NTC and ask them straight up - which teams would you be willing to waive your NTC to? and/or who isn't willing to waive their NTC at all, and then explain he'll never bring it up again after that.

As he has no affiliations to any player on this team, that's the beauty of having a new GM here at this time with a core that's been together for quite a while with NTC's galore.